State College, PA · rap · punk-rap

Joey Valence & Brae

2 upcoming festivals ↓

Beastie Boys energy for the TikTok era — relentless, giddy, all-caps fun, two friends rapping like the '80s never ended.

Joey Valence & Brae are State College natives who met as freshmen at Pennsylvania State University and started making music together in 2021. Their debut single, "Crank It Up," led to the viral track "Double Jump," which they turned into the 2022 EP The Underground Sound, moving quickly from dorm-room recordings to a wider audience through short clips online.

The duo's sound leans on boom-bap drums and old-school breakbeats, delivered with shouted, traded vocals that draw constant comparison to the Beastie Boys, an act Joey Valence has named as their biggest influence. Their 2022 single "Punk Tactics" became their breakout, packed with references to video games and internet culture, and was later certified RIAA Gold.

Their debut album, Punk Tactics, arrived in 2023, the same year they opened shows on Sum 41's farewell tour alongside the Interrupters. A second album, No Hands, followed in 2024, featuring Z-Trip, Terror Reid and Danny Brown, with a deluxe edition later adding a cover of Charli XCX's "365" and a remix featuring Ayesha Erotica.

Recent collaborations include "Clover" with IDK and "Wassup" with JPEGMafia, both released in 2025. Their third album, Hyperyouth, came out that August as their first release through RCA, continuing the pace they set as a viral duo turned recording act with a steady stream of guest-heavy singles.

Read more

rappunk-rap